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Summer Activities
We’ve got the “Central Park of Central New York”... Onondaga Lake Park
Summer's here and that’s means it’s time to get out and enjoy Onondaga Lake Park. The park has four great trails ideal for walking, running biking, blading and more. The East Shore Recreational Trail, the Shoreline Walking Trail, the West Shore Trail and the Lakeland Trail. Click here for trail info
Wegmans Playground
Open daily
The 35,000 sq. ft. area boundless playground includes three large sections: Playhouse (2-12 yrs), Pre-School Age (2-5 yrs.) and School Age (5-12 yrs.) and features:
•Sway Fun, a teeter-totter structure able to accommodate wheelchairs.
•Elevated sand boxes
•8 ft. suspension bridge
•Imagination & Activity Panels such as a sight 'n sound panel, magic ball popper panel, vision adventure panel, park ranger panel, race car panel and more.
•Unitary Surfacing, a poured in place rubber and Fibar, a specially formulated wood chip material will make the playground easier to navigate for children and adults in wheelchairs.
Wegmans Trams
11 am - 8 pm daily
Suggested Donation $1
Rides start at the top of the hour, Monday-Thursday and run every half hour Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The trams are wheelchair accessible and run between the Griffin Visitor Center and Willow Bay making frequent stops along the way. Seating on the Wegmans Tram is not guaranteed, and is on a first-come, first-served basis. We ask all users to be courteous to visitors who are waiting to ride the tram.
Bike and Skate Rentals at the Grifin Visitor Center
10am - 8pm daily
Skates, Bikes for 1, 2, 4 or 7 and Recreation Equipment available
$1-$45; half-hour, hour and two hour rentals available
Click here for details
Boat Rentals at the Marina
11am - 7pm daily
•Row Boats: $20/full day; $5/hour (Seniors $14/full day; $3/hour)
•Kayaks: $8/hour (Seniors $6/hour)
($10 deposit required; $6 for seniors - Renters must be 18 years old)
Onondaga Lake Skatepark
10am - 8pm daily
$3 per session, $29 for a monthly pass, $99 for a season pass.
The 16,900-sq. ft park is concrete and built for inline skates, skateboards and BMX bikes. Come and test your skills on its features like the 8ft. deep Liberty Bowl, 7 Stair Gap, 4.5 ft. high ledge, or 3.5 ft. high volcano. There are also quarter pipes, grind rails, spines, hips and gaps to challenge every skater or biker. Admission to the Skatepark is
Salt Museum
1 - 6 pm daily
Discover how Syracuse earned it's nickname "The Salt City" through exhibits and artifacts in a reconstructed 1856 salt manufactory. Gift Shop. Free.
Sainte Marie among the Iroquois
12:30-5pm Saturdays & Sundays; 10am-3pm Monday, Wednesday & Thursday
Sainte Marie among the Iroquois is a re-creation of the French Mission that once stood on the shores of Onondaga Lake from 1656-1658. Browse the museum and learn about the 17th century culture of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois), the French and their meeting here. Gift Shop. Admission
Get Out On the Water...
The Oneida Shores Boat Launch, at Oneida Shores Park, offers your most accessible route to New York State's largest inland lake. Less than a mile off I81 in Brewerton, the paved launch provides multiple entry ramps for boats of all sizes, ample nearby parking, picnic facilities and restrooms.
Located midway along the lake's east shore, the Onondaga Lake Park Marina is a public facility operated by Onondaga County Parks. Due to its proximity to Syracuse and the greater metropolitan area, the Marina is a favorite spot for both recreation boaters and fishermen.
No Boat, No Problem...We've got rentals!
Canoes & Kayaks
Beaver Lake Nature Center • 9 am - 4 pm, weekends; 9am - 3:30pm weekdays beginning June 28
$8 per hour; $2 each add'l half hour.
Kayaks & Rowboats
Onondaga Lake Park • 11am -7pm daily
$3-$20; hour and full day rentals available
Kayaks & Power Paddlers for kids
Oneida Shores Park • 11am-7pm during beach season
$3-$14; half-hour and hour rentals available
Kayaks, Canoes, Rowboats & Paddle Boats
Jamesville Beach Park • 11am-7pm during beach season
$3-$20; half-hour, hour and full day rentals available
OR In the Water...
Open daily Jamesville Beach offers a quaint sandy beach, floating raft, beach side playground and great fishing spots while at Oneida Shores, the beach has a safe sandy waterfront and unbeatable views on New York's largest inland lake. Features include a playground, volleyball courts and picnic tables.
•$5 per vehicle weekends & holidays; $4 per vehicle weekdays or
purchase a season pass, good at both beaches, for $31.50. Click here to download form
Catch the big one...
Fishing is a wonderful activity for the whole family or for those seeking solitude and thanks to Carpenter's Brook Fish Hatchery, nearly 100 miles of local streams will be brimming with thousands of fish, including nearly 20,000 two year old brown trout averaging 15 inches in length. Best bets are Nine Mile Creek and Butternut Creek or you can fish on select dates at the Hatchery. Click here for info.
Ready, Aim, Shoot!
Disc Golf Course Open
Jamesville Beach Park
Featuring 18 challenging holes, this is a great combination of Frisbee and golf (and exercise!) According to the National Recreation and Park Association, Disc Golf is one of the fastest growing sports in the country and Central New Yorkers can easily get into the game!
Archery
Pratt’s Falls Park
A 100-yard fixed range features two targets where archers can hone their marksmanship skills.
Carpenter’s Brook Fish Hatchery
Oneida Shores Park
Onondaga Lake Park
These parks all offer areas for practice, visitors must bring their own targets and equipment.
Ridin’ High…
Mountain Biking Season Begins - May 1 - November
Highland Forest
Regular Park hours
There is no better place to give your bike a workout than on the 20 miles of trails at the "Adirondacks of Central New York." Highland offers a mix of country road, mountain trail and backwoods adventure while opportunities for Off-Road Bicycling can be found on park roads and on fire lanes. Maps available at the Park Office located inside Skyline Lodge. Donation is $2 per vehicle.
Get away from it all…
Campgrounds Open
Oneida Shores Park
Choose from 50 lakeview sites, 25 with power. Shaded grounds accommodate both tents and self contained RV's. Hot showers, restrooms, free beach and boat launch use make this the ideal get away spot.